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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 17, 2003 <br />Action Age a <br />Item No. -~ <br />SUBJECT• Contract for Faith Community Coordinator <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Contract with Morgan and Associates <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 968-2000 <br />Gwen Price, 245-2800 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To approve the continuation of a contract with Morgan and Associates for the <br />development of partnerships with various faith communities focusing on improved job retention <br />for Work First participants. <br />BACKGROUND: One constant in the debate on welfare reform has been that government <br />alone cannot help families achieve economic self-sufficiency. The work of faith-based or <br />religious groups are critical to program success. The contributions of the faith community in <br />reaching out to vulnerable families and encouraging them to make the transition have been <br />applauded on the federal, state, and local levels. <br />Orange County has contracted with Morgan and Associates since July 1999. Based on <br />recommendations from the Welfare Reform Task Force, Orange County contracted for a Faith <br />Community Coordinator. The Department of Social Services currently contracts with Morgan <br />and Associates to develop awareness and partnerships in the religious community that support <br />Work First families as they move from welfare to work. This contract has been successful in <br />engaging local faith organizations to support the individuals in the agency's work programs. <br />Counties have duplicated the model used in Orange County across the state and some material <br />was used by Project Jubilee to develop the Families First Program. <br />Winnie Morgan, program coordinator, works tirelessly. She has developed 12 faith-based <br />teams who are matched with families to provide moral support, assist in job search activities, <br />tutor children, and provide transportation. Through this initiative, the faith community has <br />provided a coordinated response to 25 families this year. Ms. Morgan and the team remain in <br />contact with families after they transition off of welfare, providing an extremely important support <br />system for these families. She has developed a clothing closet for families needing job <br />appropriate clothing; she recruits sponsors for summer camp annually, and she has identified <br />individuals to donate cars to a Work First family. Ms. Morgan's accomplishments are numerous <br />